Cameron Crowe Expands ‘Almost Famous’ Soundtrack in New ‘Incendiary’ Box Set

Neal Preston*

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The Almost Famous soundtrack was pressed on vinyl so few times that the original record is rare — a dream for every collector who just wants to light a candle and see their entire future. Thankfully, Cameron Crowe will expand the soundtrack into a limited-edition box set, out August 20th via UMe.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/stillwater-almost-famous-cover-story-1165517/

The news arrives after the film celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, which included a podcast, cast reunion, and an unearthing of Crowe’s archive. The upcoming box set marks the first-ever release of all the music featured in the film — from all five Led Zeppelin songs to the cast singalong of “Tiny Dancer” — as well as beloved bits of dialogue like, “One day, you’ll be cool,” and “Don’t take drugs!”

The “Uber Box” edition contains 103 tracks spread across five CDs, seven LPs, and a seven-inch of Stillwater’s “Fever Dog.” It also includes William Miller’s Rolling Stone cover story on the band, a 40-page book with photos by Neal Preston, backstage passes, Lester Bang’s Creem business card, and more.

An integral part of the box set is Stillwater’s music, which was written by Crowe, Nancy Wilson, and Peter Frampton. Songs like “Fever Dog,” “Love Thing,” and their backstage huddle “Piggyback Ride” are included. You can hear “Love Comes and Goes” in the video above.

Crowe will also release the film in 4K Ultra HD in a limited-edition Steelbook, as well as a Blu-ray, out July 13th. “We are extremely proud to revisit Almost Famous with a very special bounty of goodness,” he said in a statement. “For the first time, we’ve created a deluxe soundtrack that features nearly every song from the film, along with Nancy Wilson’s wonderfully evocative score. We’re also thrilled to finally preserve both versions of the film, along with a collection of rare new bonus features, on these beautiful new 4K and Blu-ray releases as part of Paramount Presents. Long live physical media!”

“Something magical happened when the actor and the scene and the music worked together,” he said of the soundtrack. “Often it’s a shotgun marriage, but every once in a while, everything clicks. That’s when a movie can sear your soul.”

Added Wilson: “We went to great painstaking lengths to bring some rich detail and authenticity to paint a real picture of living the life of rock. I always feel proud and happy to have been a big part of this wonderful film.”

Almost Famous Uber Box Tracklist 

CD 1

1. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – Alvin & The Chipmunks
2. The Oogum Boogum Song – Brenton Wood
3. America – Simon & Garfunkel
4. “One Day You’ll Be Cool”
5. Amazing Journey / Sparks (Almost Famous Version) – The Who*
6. Search And Destroy – Iggy & The Stooges
7. “Rock N’ Roll It’s Over”
8. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference – Todd Rundgren
9. “Don’t Take Drugs”
10. Teacher (U.S. Version) – Jethro Tull
11. “We Are Band Aids”
12. Roundabout – Yes
13. “Incendiary”
14. I’ve Seen All Good People: a. Your Move, b. All Good People – Yes
15. Feel Flows – The Beach Boys
16. “This Is Penny Lane”
17. River – Joni Mitchell
18. “Piggyback Ride (San Diego)”
19. Fever Dog – Stillwater

CD 2

1. Every Picture Tells A Story – Rod Stewart
2. Small Time Blues (Acoustic) – The Hyatt Singers
3. Something In The Air – Stillwater*
4. Easy To Slip – Little Feat
5. “Rolling Stone Magazine”
6. Go All The Way – The Raspberries
7. Farmer – The Seeds
8. One Way Out (Live) – The Allman Brothers Band
9. “Don’t Forget The Rules”
10. Albert Flasher (Live) – The Guess Who
11. Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd
12. “Just Make Us Look Cool”
13. Love Thing – Stillwater
14. That’s The Way – Led Zeppelin
15. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
16. Future Games – Fleetwood Mac
17. Burn – Deep Purple
18. You Had To Be There – Stillwater
19. “I Am A Golden God”
20. Dear Jill – Blodwyn Pig
21. Tiny Dancer (Almost Famous Version) – Elton John, Stillwater & Cast*

CD 3

1. Looking At You – MC5
2. Reeling In The Years (Live) – Steely Dan*
3. Lucky Trumble – Nancy Wilson
4. Untitled – Jeff Bebe*
5. I’m Waiting For The Man (Live) – David Bowie
6. “Your Mom Kind Of Freaked Me Out”
7. “Please Welcome Stillwater!”
8. Love Comes And Goes – Stillwater
9. “You Gotta Take What You Can, When You Can”
10. The Wind – Cat Stevens
11. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
12. Slip Away – Clarence Carter
13. Misty Mountain Hop – Led Zeppelin
14. Wishing Well – Free
15. “Cover Of The Rolling Stone”
16. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Elton John
17. Colour My World – Jefferson High School Band
18. My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
19. Cortez The Killer (Live) – Neil Young*
20. “You Made Friends With Them”
21. The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin
22. “We All Know What You Did To Him”
23. Bron-Yr-Aur – Led Zeppelin
24. “What Do You Love About Music?”
25. Tangerine – Led Zeppelin

CD4

Stillwater

1. Fever Dog
2. Love Thing
3. You Had To Be There
4. Hour Of Need
5. Chance Upon You
6. Love Comes And Goes

Stillwater Demos

7. Love Comes And Goes (Early Version)*
8. Fever Dog*
9. Love Thing*
10. Chance Upon You*
11. Love Comes And Goes*
12. Hour Of Need*
13. You Had To Be There*

Stillwater Backstage Jams

14. That’s The Way (Acoustic) – Larry Fellows & Ed Valencourt*
15. Down By The River (Acoustic) – Larry Fellows & Ed Valencourt*
16. Fever Dog (Acoustic) – Stillwater*

CD5

Original Motion Picture Score

1. Prefunction*
2. Cabin By The River*
3. Lucky Trumble
4. Dapple Tree*
5. Cabin In The Air*
6. Dear Peggy*
7. Bye Bye Now*

Original Motion Picture Score Outtakes*

8. Cabin (Outtake 1)
9. Moody
10. Morocco
11. Aurora
12. Mood Swing
13. The Teenager
14. Borealis
15. Strummy
16. Tiny Dancer Intro
17. Mando Swagger
18. Cabin (Outtake 2)
19. Love Stomp
20. Function
21. Aaron’s Real Room

LP 1 – Side A

1. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late) – Alvin & The Chipmunks
2. The Oogum Boogum Song – Brenton Wood
3. America – Simon & Garfunkel
4. “One Day You’ll Be Cool”
5. Amazing Journey / Sparks (Almost Famous Version) – The Who*
6. Search And Destroy – Iggy & The Stooges

LP 1 – Side B

1. “Rock N’ Roll It’s Over”
2. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference – Todd Rundgren
3. “Don’t Take Drugs”
4. Teacher (U.S. Version) – Jethro Tull
5. “We Are Band Aids”
6. Roundabout – Yes

LP 2 – Side C

1. “Incendiary”
2. I’ve Seen All Good People: a. Your Move, b. All Good People – Yes
3. Feel Flows – The Beach Boys
4. “This Is Penny Lane”
5. River – Joni Mitchell

LP 2 – Side D

1. “Piggyback Ride (San Diego)”
2. Fever Dog – Stillwater
3. Every Picture Tells A Story – Rod Stewart
4. Small Time Blues (Acoustic) – The Hyatt Singers
5. Something In The Air – Stillwater*

LP 3 – Side E

1. Easy To Slip – Little Feat
2. “Rolling Stone Magazine”
3. Go All The Way – The Raspberries
4. Farmer – The Seeds
5. One Way Out (Live) – The Allman Brothers Band
6. “Don’t Forget The Rules”
7. Albert Flasher (Live) – The Guess Who

LP 3 – Side F

1. Simple Man – Lynyrd Skynyrd
2. “Just Make Us Look Cool”
3. Love Thing – Stillwater
4. That’s The Way – Led Zeppelin

LP 4 – Side G

1. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2. Future Games – Fleetwood Mac
3. Burn – Deep Purple
4. You Had To Be There – Stillwater

LP 4 – Side H

1. “I Am A Golden God”
2. Dear Jill – Blodwyn Pig
3. Tiny Dancer (Almost Famous Version) – Elton John, Stillwater & Cast*
4. Looking At You – MC5
5. Reeling In The Years (Live) – Steely Dan*

LP 5 – Side I

1. Lucky Trumble – Nancy Wilson
2. Untitled – Jeff Bebe*
3. I’m Waiting For The Man (Live) – David Bowie
4. “Your Mom Kind Of Freaked Me Out”
5. “Please Welcome Stillwater!”
6. Love Comes And Goes – Stillwater

LP 5 – Side J

1. “You Gotta Take What You Can, When You Can”
2. The Wind – Cat Stevens
3. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
4. Slip Away – Clarence Carter
5. Misty Mountain Hop – Led Zeppelin
6. Wishing Well – Free
7. “Cover Of The Rolling Stone”

LP 6 – Side K

1. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Elton John
2. Colour My World – Jefferson High School Band
3. My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
4. Cortez The Killer (Live) – Neil Young*

LP 6 – Side L

1. “You Made Friends With Them”
2. The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin
3. “We All Know What You Did To Him”
4. Bron-Yr-Aur – Led Zeppelin
5. “What Do You Love About Music?”
6. Tangerine – Led Zeppelin

LP 7 – Stillwater EP*

Side A

1. Fever Dog
2. Love Thing
3. You Had To Be There

Side B

1. Hour Of Need
2. Chance Upon You
3. Love Comes And Goes

Fever Dog Seven-Inch

Side A

1. Fever Dog

Side B

1. “Piggyback Ride (Cleveland)”*
   2. Fever Dog (Acoustic)*

*  Previously unreleased